Beechcraft F35 N4219B

Summary

On 5 July 2020 at about 03:00 local time, a Beechcraft F35 registered N4219B was involved in an accident near Ravenna, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 July 2020 at 03:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Ravenna, Texas, United States

Coordinates

33.6723, -96.2416

Aircraft

Beechcraft F35

Registration

N4219B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1955

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hugo → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN20LA262

1 person had minor injuries.

Electrical and engine problems for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

While in cruise flight and after the pilot engaged the autopilot, a portable air conditioning unit was plugged into the airplane’s electrical system. When the unit was plugged into the system, the pilot heard a loud noise like a “firecracker” from the engine compartment, and the autopilot disengaged. The pilot ran the emergency checklist for an electrical failure and noticed a drop in engine rpm. Attempts to rectify the electrical issue and regain engine rpms were unsuccessful. The pilot located a private 3,000 ft grass airstrip to land on. As he approached the airstrip, he noticed a stack of large round hay bales on the edge of the runway. The pilot felt that trying to pull up over the bales would induce a stall, so he turned to the right just as the airplane touched down. About 100 ft after the airplane touched down, the left wing impacted the hay bales, which caused the airplane to spin left and come to a sudden stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident examination of the airplane electrical systems did not determine the reasons for the reported electrical problems. The examination of the engine revealed that it was poorly maintained; however, it was not clear if this condition resulted in the loss of engine rpm or if the loss in rpm was related to the electrical system.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.